The Woman With Half a Soul
by inizhay
Summary: A woman (OC) and her bodyguard come through the gate with a tok'ra idc claiming to be from an alternate universe
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So this is something I started writing in high school, and I dug it out of the depths of my computer files again a few months ago and started adding on. The first couple of chapters will be a bit rough (I've cleaned them up, but left most of the content the same, so forgive the 16 year old me), but if you like the idea at least, please keep tuned in and it will get more exciting, I promise. Also, this is the first fanfic I've done, so please be kind, but I'm mostly doing this to improve my writing, so any advice is appreciated!**

"Mitchell, I don't care if you think I'm right, because I know I am."

"You don't know that for sure, Jackson." Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell sat his tray on the cafeteria table a little harder than necessary, and Lt. Col. Samantha Carter raised her eyebrows at him. He ignored her and continued speaking to Dr. Daniel Jackson. "For all we know, that machine you built didn't even work, and if that's the case, we just opened the door for them after we went to all the trouble of closing the damn thing."

"But it did work. True we reopened the door, but only for their followers. Which admittedly could be just as bad, but now we don't have to worry about the causers of the problems. And that is a definite advantage that we didn't originally have."

Mitchell was about to respond when there was a message over the intercom. "SG-1, report to the debriefing room immediately." Mitchell looked at Daniel exasperatedly and the three members stood to leave. It was an old argument already, but neither of the two men could seem to let it go.

They were joined in the debriefing room by Vala Mal Doran and Teal'c. "What's going on, Sir?" Mitchell asked General Hank Landry.

"We just received an IDC code from a planet where there was no mission. The code was one that was recognized as belonging to Jacob Carter." Sam kept her face carefully composed.

"Did you open the iris?" She asked.

"Yes, that's why I wanted you to be up here. Whoever they really are, I want SG-1 to handle them. We've put them in a couple of holding rooms."

"Excuse me, Sir, did you say a couple? As in there was more than one person?" Cameron asked.

"Yes, Col. There were two people, a man and a woman. She said her name was Genevieve. The man refuses to talk, but Genevieve tells me his name is Laurent, and he was her bodyguard."

"Was?" Vala asked.

"Yes, apparently, they came here from a parallel universe. I want you to question them further about that. Find out why they came here, and any other useful information. Any volunteers as to who wants to take which one first?"

"I'd like to speak to the woman first, Sir," Sam offered.

"I'll take the former bodyguard," Cameron said.

"Alright, get busy. You other three can go back to whatever you were doing until the Colonels give up."

"Do you think we'll have much trouble with them, Sir?" Cameron asked, standing as the General stood.

"You might, Mitchell. The man seems disinclined to say anything, but the woman, Genevieve, seems more interested in getting us to trust her than hiding anything from us."

General Landry dismissed them, and Sam headed to the interrogation room where they were keeping the female. Sam found the woman sitting at the table calmly. Sam sat down across from her, and the two regarded each other quietly until Sam said, "The general tells me your name is Genevieve. I'm-."

"Samantha Carter, yes, yes, I know. I don't know your rank in this universe, though in mine you were a Lt. Col."

"I am here, too." Genevieve inclined her head in acknowledgement, and Sam continued. "How did you get here?"

"We used a quantum mirror discovered on a planet long ago. It took us to another universe on the same planet where it had been found and we came here through the Stargate. I know that you have no reason to trust me, but we were desperate."

"Why did you come?"

"We had no choice but to come here, although we didn't necessarily choose this universe specifically." It wasn't particularly detailed answer, but Sam let it slide, figuring that Genevieve would tell her more when she was ready.

"How did you get an IDC transmitter?" Sam asked.

"General Landry gave it to me when Earth formed an alliance with my people two Earth years ago."

"Ok, and who are your people?" Sam didn't think Genevieve was Tok'ra because she hadn't sensed a symbiote. Genevieve definitely wasn't Asgard, but Earth didn't have any human allies, other than Jonas Quinn's planet, and Sam didn't think she could be from there, either.

"The vampires of Oorantal," Genevieve said simply.

There was a short tense silence, and then Sam said, "Did you say vampire?"

"So you haven't met my people in this universe. Well, that means I may still be out there somewhere. But at any rate, yes vampires do exist, though we're not quite as your Earth myths proclaim. Much like the Asgard actually. They too came to Earth and there were rumors about them before you ever met them." Sam nodded; she had a point.

"So what you're saying is that there's another potential ally out there to help us fight the Ori?" Sam asked.

"I honestly don't know. Your reality could be very different from mine." She lapsed into silent thought.

"Genevieve," Sam said, "I'm going to leave you alone for a few minutes. I'll be right back." She met Daniel in the hallway and filled him in on what Genevieve had said so far.

"Do you believe her?" He asked.

"Well, we don't really have enough information, yet."

"We'll just have to see what her friend had to say to Mitchell," Daniel added.

"Why do you always call him by his last name?" Sam asked out of the blue.

"I don't know," Daniel said after a moments thought. "He always calls me by my last name, too." He paused, "Maybe I just miss Jack."

"Me too," Sam said almost inaudibly.

Cameron hadn't gotten any information at all from the bodyguard. "He would not say one word to me." Cameron said, "Not even his name, which I already knew, but still."

"Well, how did they get here?" General Landry asked.

"Apparently they used a quantum mirror, Sir." Sam told him. "And apparently they can't go back, because they were desperate when they came here."

"Why is that?"

"Well, I don't know, yet. She hasn't gotten around to telling us."

"How did they get Jacob Carter's IDC?"

"She said that you gave it to her when her people formed an alliance with Earth," Daniel said.

"And who are her people?" Cameron asked; for some reason he was sure that he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Apparently, they are vampires," Daniel said reluctantly.

"I'm sorry Dr. Jackson; my hearing must be getting bad. I thought you just said vampires." General Landry said, leaning closer.

"I did, General."

"That is not really so strange, is it?" Teal'c asked suddenly. "We have come across many odd things in the universe."

"I have to agree with Teal'c," Cameron said. "Did this, Genevieve, ask you to help her get back to her universe?"

"No, she didn't. Something else seems to be bothering her. And like I said, they came here on purpose. I think she wants to stay, but she also knows that we may not allow her to remain here. I think coming to earth was a shot in the dark, and she knew there was only a slim chance that our realities would be similar enough that we would know who she is." Sam paused, "But she also might have been counting on that. Honestly Sir, we just need to find out more."

"So, what do we do now?" Cameron asked General Landry.

"For now, I agree with Sam. Keep talking to them. Perhaps Genevieve can introduce us to her people in this universe."

"Sir, I would like to question Genevieve next." Landry nodded his okay, and Cameron continued, "I also don't think her bodyguard's going to say anything to us without her direct okay. I'll escort her to see him long enough to give it."

"What makes you think she'll tell him to say anything?"

"Well, Sir, if she really wants to stay here, she'll know that she needs to cooperate."

"Alright, go take care of that." Cameron nodded. "Where's Vala?"

"I believe she reported to the infirmary," Teal'c said, "She appeared to feeling very badly."

"I hope nothing serious is wrong. Teal'c, I want you to question Laurent after Genevieve gives her permission for him to speak. Col. Carter, go with Teal'c. Dr. Jackson," Landry paused, "I don't have anything for you to do, but I'm guessing you'll want to visit Vala." Daniel nodded. "Dismissed."

Genevieve looked up when the door opened, and she thought her heart was going to stop mid-beat when Cameron walked in. Before she could stop herself, she whispered, "Cam?" Her voice was so hopeful and sad that Cameron stopped in the doorway and just looked at her.

Finally, he said, "I don't know who you think I am, but I need you to tell your bodyguard to talk to us, and then I have some other questions for you." Genevieve nodded and followed him out the door. She told Laurent to speak freely and truthfully, and then Cameron took her back to the holding room.

"What else do you want to know?"

"Where is your home planet?"

"You want to attempt to make an alliance, don't you?" Cameron didn't deny it, but she continued without any prompting. "They're in the Andromeda galaxy. I'll give the coordinates if you'll get me something to write on." As they talked, Genevieve began to wonder if he would ever leave. She kept her face carefully passive, but inside the very sight of him was tearing her apart. Because of this, she probably came across as a cold person, though in reality her feelings toward him were warmer than toward anyone else in any universe.

When he had finished interrogating her and she had given the coordinates, Cameron went to speak with General Landry. "General, I think we should give her quarters here on base. Laurent, too. I think she'd also like to speak to you personally. I got the impression that she didn't like me much. And, since she knew my name it probably has something to do with past experience in her reality."

"Alright, bring her to the debriefing room, so all of us can speak with her, and then I'll consider your recommendation. Bring Laurent, too."

Genevieve seemed completely at home in the debriefing room. Laurent, now that he was reunited with her, stuck even closer to her side. Daniel and Vala had returned from the infirmary, so everyone was present for the meeting. Laurent fleetingly bared his fangs at Vala, but a swift look from Genevieve caused him to merely ignore her.

Genevieve started the conversation. "Thank you for agreeing to see me personally, General Landry. I wanted to address an issue that has come up in my conversation with Col. Mitchell, but I wanted to explain it to all of you in person. We were forced to leave our reality because it was overtaken by the Ori. Until we made an alliance with Earth, the Ori had never been near our galaxy. Many of my people blamed me for this, but I have always believed that it is our duty to help those who ask for it. At any rate, we were finally overcome by the Ori's weapons which exploited our allergy to sunlight and dependence on our human counterparts. What I mean by all this is that there is no way we can return to our reality. If you will not allow us to remain here on Earth, I must ask you to allow us to leave through the Stargate to find somewhere else to exist. I would also like to tell you that odds of you forming an alliance with the vampires in this reality, if they exist here, are very slim. There were many small deciding factors that were crucial to the alliance in my reality. And I have to admit that I was one of them. As was Col. Mitchell." Everyone looked slightly surprised, and Laurent pursed his lips. "At any rate, the copying of those critical things here is, unlikely, I'm sorry to say."

"Question," Vala said after a moment. "Why are you here if Laurent here doesn't even seem to like any of us?"

"I'm sorry, Vala. Laurent has never been happy about certain details pertaining to the alliance," Genevieve said slowly, choosing every word carefully. "And, well, even I am a little wary of you from prior experience in my own reality."

"Oh no, what did I do?"

"You betrayed us and Earth to the Ori." Vala looked extremely dejected about that. "But," Genevieve added quickly, "That was in another time and another place." Vala nodded. "General, will you at least consider our request to remain here, and be of whatever service we can be?"

"I'm not authorized to make that decision, but you can be sure that I will discuss the possibility thoroughly with the people who are." He stood. "I'll let Col. Mitchell and Col. Carter show you where you'll be staying until that decision is made." Genevieve gave a deep nod of acceptance, and followed Cameron as instructed. When they were in the hallway, Cameron stopped and turned to her.

"Now I know what Laurent has against Vala, but what did I do in this other universe that set you against me, and at the same time made me so instrumental to this alliance?"

Genevieve closed her eyes, and quietly said, "Please don't ask me about that." Cameron just looked at her, so finally she opened her eyes and looked up at him almost pleadingly. "You want to know what you did." Cameron nodded. "In the simplest and least helpful explanation I can give, you made me fall in love with you."

"What?" The answer had caught him completely off-guard.

"Please, just show me where I'll be staying. I really can't talk about it, yet." Cameron nodded, and Genevieve followed him down the hall quietly.


	2. Chapter 2

Later that day, Sam stopped by Genevieve's room. "Do you want to get something to eat with me in the commissary?" Genevieve looked a little surprised at the offer, but she looked thoughtful.

"Actually, I can't eat human food. But if you'd just like some company, I'd be glad to join you, Sam." Sam nodded.

When they were both seated in the cafeteria, Sam said, "So, just out of curiosity, what was I like in this other reality?"

"As far as I can tell, you're much the same. All of you are, well, Vala is a little different, but that's all I can think of. Of course, I have only been here a few hours." Genevieve paused. "Exactly what do you want to know?"

"Well, am I married?"

"Yes, you and Jack have been married for three months now. I thought it was interesting that you married only three months after he retired. The last time I saw you, you were going to have a baby. Although I must admit that I thought that was an incredibly imprudent thing to do at these times. Cam agreed with me although he would never actually tell you that."

"Wait a minute. Jack, as in General Jack O'Neill?"

"Yes, he does exist in this universe, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does. It's just, ironic I guess. This isn't first time I've heard of the two of us being married in an alternate universe."

"But you aren't in this one?"

"No, he's still in the military here."

"Ah, I see." Genevieve smiled softly. Sam took a breath and changed the subject.

"So, you must know Cam pretty well in your universe." Genevieve looked down at the table sadly.

"I knew him well," she said, stressing the past tense. "He died during the destruction of my homeworld a few months before the Ori utterly defeated us." Sam made a small 'oh', and Genevieve smiled at her slightly. "Of course he wasn't entirely human anymore then. It's strange seeing him now, because it's just like the first time I met him, except that wasn't on Earth."

"Where did you meet?"

Genevieve looked down at the table again and was silent for so long that Sam thought she wasn't going to answer at all, but finally she met Sam's blue eyes with her grey ones and took a deep breath.

"I thought you said this planet was uninhabited?" Mitchell yelled. The team had taken refuge behind a group of boulders from the energy blasts that appeared suddenly from the surrounding trees. The comment had been directed at his second in command, Sam Carter, who was to his right. Teal'c and Daniel were a little distance away to his left.

"It's not the first time the MALP readings have been wrong," she replied as she fired a burst into the trees. No actual targets had presented themselves, yet, but maybe she would get lucky. The sun had set as the blasts began and soon they wouldn't be able to see anything without night vision anyway.

"Remind me to bring that up at the next briefing," Mitchell muttered. The sporadic energy blasts ceased as quickly as they had begun. Mitchell poked his head over the protective rock half expecting somebody to take another shot at him. He glanced at Teal'c, who merely raised an eyebrow.

"Well, this is odd," Mitchell said. He was about to suggest retreating post-haste when a scream echoed from the darkened woods.

"Think that's our cue to leave?" Daniel asked.

"Yup, let's haul ass to the gate," Mitchell said. He let the other three members of the team rush ahead of him while he prepared to lay down cover fire if the assault resumed. Another scream echoed through the trees, and Mitchell took off after his team. Daniel was dialing up the gate in the clearing ahead with Teal'c and Carter guarding his back.

Mitchell had almost reached them when he felt a hand on his shoulder and suddenly found himself on his back straddled by a lithe humanoid figure with one hand pinning down his gun and the other gripping his neck.

"Set aside your weapons or this one dies," the figure snarled into Mitchell's face. He expected to recoil from the bad breath that generally accompanied such threats, but he was pleasantly surprised when it was not forthcoming.

"Cam?" Carter queried. She maintained a bead on the figure, but in the uncertain light produced by the wormhole, she couldn't be certain she wouldn't hit him, too. The sound of many boots and muted voices drifted through the trees.

"Get your asses through that gate," he replied with more bravado than he actually felt. "I'll be fine. Bring back reinforcements if you can."

"We will be back," Sam said before she nodded to Teal'c and Daniel and the three headed through the gate. The wormhole disengaged, and Cam was left alone in darkness with his assailant, who now appeared to be cursing magnificently, though he couldn't place the language.

"A foolish move, human," it said. It stood, dragging Mitchell to his feet. It pulled him over to the DHD, and shoved him against the device.

"You will dial us to another planet," it said. "Not the one your friends just went to. And preferably a dark planet. If you are quick about it, I may even let you remain here for them to return to you, though a doubt those soldiers coming towards us will leave you alive long enough for it to matter."

"And if I go with you, what? You'll kill me quicker?"

"Oh, most assuredly more slowly, but who knows, I may let you live. I have no taste for humans and killing unnecessarily is no more to my liking than letting food go to waste."

The sounds drew nearer, and the creature hissed at him to make a decision. Mitchell had no idea who had ambushed them, but the odds were good that they were Ori or someone equally nasty. There were still a couple of rogue go'auld running around that the SGC and Tok'ra hadn't quite been able to put down due to more immediate threats. Making a choice, Mitchell dialed the first non-Earth address that popped into his head. As the gate kawooshed into a shimmering pool, the light from the vortex illuminated his assailant. It appeared to be female, but with hair so lank and face so dirty he couldn't quite be sure. He even thought some of the dirt might actually be blood. Whatever the gender, it was stronger than human, and the grip on his arm steered him mercilessly to the gate.

They stepped through to another wooded planet. Here the sun was high in the sky so the woods held an amber glow.

"What is this place?" The creature asked.

"It used to be a Tok'ra base planet. I think they've left by now," he said.

"I am surprised, human. You could have led me into a trap despite my threats. Instead you leave yourself at my mercy." It hissed suddenly and squinted. "Though if I do not find shelter from the sun soon, it will make little difference."

"You allergic to sunlight?"

"Essentially. Come on, human." She began striding away from the gate towards what appeared to be a mountain range. She headed for the thickest trees. Mitchell considered not following her. He could just turn around and dial home, after all. Some instinct made him follow the dirt-clad humanoid farther into the woods.

"I have a name, you know," he said.

"Should I care?" She called over her shoulder. He caught up to her and matched her stride.

"Well, I would like to know yours," he said amicably. "Also, what species are you that you keep calling me 'human' with such disdain?"

"I could just call you 'lunch' instead," she said, flashing a smile at him that revealed incredibly long fangs.

"That's some impressive dental work you've got there. So come on, what are you?"

"I am Genevieve of the Vampires of Oorantal."

"I'm not familiar with that planet."

"To the best of my understanding, it is in a neighboring galaxy."

Mitchell whistled. "You're a long way from home."

"Yes, and I would like to make it back there in one piece."

"Hang on. Vampire? As in nightwalking creature that drinks blood and lives forever?"

"Well you're partially right. My people are, to use your word, allergic to the radiation of stars. But we do not drink blood, and we do not live forever. Though I admit, we do live longer than humans. Where are you getting this information?"

"Old movies, mostly," he said. "I'm Cameron Mitchell, by the way. My friends call me Cam."

"I see." She didn't really know what a movie was, but she let it slide. "Well, Cameron Mitchell, I'm not entirely sure why you didn't take the opportunity I gave you to return to your home, but I think your continued company would be better appreciated with less noise."

Genevieve picked up her pace, and Cam had to struggle to keep up after a while, despite his military training. She did not understand why the human remained with her. She had threatened his life and forced him to take her to another world. Admittedly, it had probably saved both of their lives, but now that she was free of the Jaffa planet, she didn't need him. She should kill him now.

Cam's thoughts traveled along similar lines. Not that the stroll through the woods wasn't pleasant, but why was he trotting along beside a woman who claimed to be a creature from a bad teen romance novel?

"This will do until the sun sets fully," Genevieve said. She had stopped at the base of a foothill. The shadows were deep and inviting with the added protection of dense foliage.

"Looks comfy," Cam said. He threw himself on the ground as he tried to pretend he wasn't completely exhausted. Genevieve wasn't even winded as far as he could see. She sniffed at the air a moment before telling him to wait there. She walked around the edge of the hill, and he wondered idly if she was abandoning him. Then he heard a splash and went to investigate.

The other side of the hill contained a deep pool of water, fed from a small waterfall several yards above their heads. As he approached the edge, a small head bobbed to the surface, and he really saw his "captor" for the first time. Her delicate features were framed by a curtain of sopping black hair. The dirt had concealed a beautiful woman with piercing gray eyes that were now staring at him with a look he could not begin to fathom. Anger, consternation, confusion, all quickly giving way to curiosity.

She swam closer, never breaking her gaze. Finally, she reached a point where she could stand and began to walk out of the water naked.

"I'll give you some privacy," Cam said. He began to turn back to the place she had chosen to await the night.

"Do I make you uncomfortable, Cameron Mitchell?"

"Just Cam is fine," he said, "And no, I just thought you might like to bathe alone."

"I thought only your friends called you Cam."

"Well, you haven't killed me, and you saved me and my team from whoever was attacking us, so I'd say that makes us friends." He still had his back to her, but he heard her grab her clothing from the bank.

"Don't you wish to bathe as well, Cam?" Genevieve asked.

Was that a shiver that just ran up his spine at his name on her lips? Couldn't be. He was far too professional for that. Although there was that one time on… Then, she was standing in front of him, fully clothed, though he now noticed that her clothes were really just rags. He also noticed with some discomfort that with her skin clean, there were hundreds of scars and fresher cuts on her arms and neck. He was willing to bet there were more hidden by the rags.

"You should let me take care of those wounds for you," he said.

"They are nothing," she replied. "I will heal soon. I am touched by your concern for your captor."

She smirked at him before turning back to the alcove on the other side of the hill. She lay down on the moss beneath the trees and prayed that he did not notice her weakness.

"So you have healing abilities?" Cam asked.

"Yes, but they work better when I sleep," she snapped. "Can you be relied upon to watch over me while I do that?"

"I think I can handle that," he said. He watched her fall asleep nearly instantaneously. The comment about her saving the team had been a shot in the dark, but she hadn't denied it. Just the same, if he wasn't really her prisoner, and it didn't look like he was, he needed to contact the SGC to let them know he wasn't in any danger. Actually, he was amazed this had slipped his mind before. How had he not thought of that when she gave him the opportunity to escape earlier? Cam smashed his forehead into his palm. His team could be walking into another ambush of Jaffa or Ori or whoever the hell for no reason.

Cam jumped to his feet to run back to the gate, but then he looked down at the vampire curled up on the moss. He had said that he would watch over her while she slept. But he didn't want to wake her, yet. She was obviously exhausted. He wasn't sure what she had been through on that planet, but it had taken a greater toll than she was admitting. Cam mulled over the chances of the team actually being hurt by further delay. Either Landry had launched an immediate rescue mission as soon as Sam and the others hit the gateroom, or they had waited for more intel. Either way, it was unlikely that they were still at the base for him to warn them not to go back. How could he have waited so long to remember they were coming back for him?

Genevieve murmured in her sleep, drawing his attention back to her. He felt fiercely protective as her gentle murmurs turned to whimpers of pain. Clearly her dreams were not pleasant, and he had the strangest desire to kill whoever had caused them. He reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder. He jerked his hand back as the vampire leapt to consciousness with a snarl and crouched in a defensive stance with her fangs bared.

"If you wish to keep all of your limbs intact, do not startle a sleeping vampire," she said.

"I'll remember that," he said. "Listen, I have to go back to the Stargate. My team still thinks I'm in mortal danger back on that planet, and if they haven't already gone back for me, I need to stop them. And if they have gone back for me, I still need to stop them."

"I'm surprised it took you this long to reach that conclusion," she said. She lay back down and closed her eyes again. After a few moments, she opened one. "Why are you still here?"

"Come back with me," he said.

"I have no use for the Stargate at the moment," she said. "I need to gather my strength and figure out how to get back to my own galaxy."

"Well, I doubt you'll be able to do that here. It takes massive amounts of power to reach another galaxy, and I doubt this planet has the resources. Do you even know any addresses for this galaxy?"

She glared at him for a moment before directing her ire at her knees.

"I thought so," he said. "Come back to Earth with me. We can help you."

"Why would your people do that?"

"Maybe your people and ours could be allies. I'm sure there's something we could gain from each other. Look, you saved my team back there. You didn't have to do that, and you could have just killed me after I got you off that planet. You didn't, so you're automatically a better person than half the species I've met in this galaxy. Not to mention some of the people on my own planet."

Genevieve considered his offer. It wasn't in the nature of the vampires to accept help from others. She didn't seem to have much choice, though. The odds of her people finding her were virtually zero, and she knew nothing of this place. She doubted they would consider an alliance, but if false promises would get her home… Well, there were worse things.

"Fine. I'll come with you, Cameron Mitchell," she said. "I won't even request that you guarantee my safety on your homeworld. I doubt you could if you wanted to."

"I will guarantee it. If you don't harm us, we won't harm you. Deal?"


	3. Chapter 3

Sam noticed that the food on her plate was cold by the time she surfaced from Genevieve's story of her first meeting with Cameron. There were many missing details, but Sam was now sure that Genevieve would tell her in time, and most of it might not even be pertinent in this reality. But one thing might.

"Genevieve, why were you even on that planet?"

"I was captured in my home galaxy by a lost go'auld. After much torture, they found a way to use my knowledge to return here. Of course, having found something so interesting, the parasite did not release me. I don't know how long I was imprisoned there before I found a way to escape. And my attempt happened to coincide with your team's arrival."

Sam picked at her cold food thinking over the revelations. Muted voices ranged throughout the commissary as other SGC personnel relaxed around them. There was something comforting in the mundanity of the place.

"I do not think it would be prudent to seek out the vampires in this reality," Genevieve said. "As you can see from what little of the story I have been able to tell you, there were too many coincidences involved. My capture should never have happened. It was a fluke of the cosmos. I should not have escaped at the same moment that you arrived. If I had not chosen Cam to attack. If he had not followed me on the former Tok'ra planet. If…"

Her voice trailed off.

"I've seen greater coincidences than this in my time at the SGC," Sam said.

"There are more, Sam. So many more. So many things that should not have happened. So many random choices. So much of the blame lies with me for the destruction of my world, and yet I am the one to escape."

Sam didn't know how to reply to that. She thought of all the universes they had encountered where she lived happily with Jack O'neill. There were always so many reasons why they had in that universe, but not in this one. She tried to think of a way to comfort Genevieve, but she came up empty. She was about to change the subject entirely when Cam showed up at the table.

"You're not eating?" He asked, nodding to the empty space in front of the vampire.

"I do not consume human food," she replied.

"So you eat…"

"Energy."

Sam perked up at that.

"What kind of energy?" Sam asked.

"Life energy from the organisms around me. Walking down a hallway is the equivalent of a buffet for my species."

"So, you've been taking energy from all of us since you got here?" Cam asked. He frowned, and Genevieve recognized yet another thing she had thought inconsequential that would require an explanation.

"Yes, but you don't have to worry. As long as only a small portion is taken from a number of individuals, they never miss it."

"But you can take energy from just one person?"

"Yes," she said hesitantly. "In my universe, there was a species known as the wraith in another galaxy. Do they exist here?"

"Yes, in the Pegasus galaxy. Our base on Atlantis is constantly battling them," Sam said.

"We are of a similar nature in terms of consumption. They take energy from their victims to the point of death, sucking them dry. We have this ability, but we do not require it, nor do we seek it. Our fates are tied too closely to the humans on our planets for us to risk alienating them in such a fashion."

"So the fangs are what? Just for show?"

"We believe that our people once consumed blood to gain the life energy, and the fangs have simply not evolved out over time."

Cam took a seat next to Sam. He had intended to only stop by for a moment to see how the vampire was doing, but now he was finding the conversation interesting.

"And you're tied to the humans how?"

"It is a long explanation, and I'm afraid that I am extremely tired," Genevieve said. She rose to her feet. "Do I require an escort back to my quarters or may I walk alone?"

"I'll take you," Cam said. He noticed the set of her shoulders and the thinning of her lips as she pressed them together. His presence was obviously unwelcome, but he wanted to get to the bottom of why. He could have let Sam figure it out, but something told him that he needed to do this himself.

Genevieve glanced at Sam, but the Lt. Col. studiously stared at her cold plate. She had misgivings about the whole thing in light of what Genevieve had told her, but she preferred to let Cam handle it himself. Exhaling somewhat forcefully, Genevieve nodded her acceptance, and Cam followed her from the commissary.

They walked through the halls in silence. Now that he had her alone, Cam wasn't sure where to begin. You made me fall in love with you. Her words tickled his mind. He couldn't deny that he felt drawn to her, that he had felt it since the moment he walked into the interrogation room and she had whispered his name.

They reached her quarters, and Genevieve stepped inside, ready to shut the door as soon she was through the entryway, but Cam laid a hand on the doorsill. Her breath caught in her throat. How many times had he stood like that in her reality? But the look on his face was very different from that time. She reminded herself, yet again, that this was not her Cameron.

"Was there something else you wished of me, Cameron Mitchell?"

"You know, my friends call me Cam."

"Did you overhear my conversation with Sam?"

"No, when I came in you were both staring silently at the table. Why?"

She turned away abruptly, and her shoulders sagged noticeably. Why was such an innocuous statement causing this reaction?

"I mean, if it bothers you that much, I guess calling me Cameron Mitchell is fine," he said after an awkward moment. He heard a sniffle, and he stepped into the room completely, shutting it behind him. She stiffened as he came up behind her, and he stopped several paces away.

"What do you want?"

"I want to know why I bother you so much," he said weakly. She turned to face him with a shaky laugh. Her eyes were too shiny, and the tip of her nose had reddened considerably. As she looked at him, a single tear slid down her cheek, and he fought the urge to wipe it away. She brushed it angrily aside herself.

"Because you are dead," she said. "You died and took half of my soul with you. I am a shell of what I was. I should be dead as well."

"Look, I'm sorry that the me in the other universe didn't make it. But you really can't blame me for that. Until a couple of days ago, I didn't even know there were vampires in another galaxy. I'm sorry he died, but I'm not him."

"Then why are you so concerned how I regard you?"

He paused. Why did it concern him? He only knew that he felt drawn to her. He knew he should respect that she was grieving for someone with the same face he bore, but he couldn't seem to help himself. He felt a strange need to be near her.

"I don't know," he finally said. He regarded her silently as she sank onto the twin bed in the corner. He took the desk chair and spun it around to straddle it while watching her. "What do you mean, he took half your soul with him? I mean, don't get me wrong, it's poetic as hell, but I think you mean something a little more concrete by it."

"When a true bonding occurs between a vampire and a human, they literally exchange part of their souls. The legends vary as to what quantity is exchanged. Some say it is determined by the strength of fate; how much the two are truly destined to be together. Others say it is a conscious or subconscious decision on the part of the bondmates. Despite having undergone it myself, I cannot offer any light on which is the true nature of the exchange."

"So, shouldn't you still have his half?"

She shook her head sadly.

"It does not work that way. When one of the bondmates dies, they take all of their soul with them, and they do not give back anything. I should not be alive. Bondmates should never outlive each other. If it weren't for Laurent…"

She trailed off into silence as she became very intent on studying her hands.

"What did Laurent do?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: If the switching back and forth between realities through the story-telling gets confusing, just let me know. I've been wondering if I should place markers at each section, but for the most part, I think each chapter is going to be a switch anyway.**

Genevieve found Cam half-buried in the debris of the palace on her homeworld. Halfway across the galaxy she had felt his call resonating within her soul. She cursed herself for a fool, leaving him alone. They had thought the homeworld still safe. Their central seat held no hint of breach when she had departed for the fourth night planet to rescue the ambassador. The Ori had beat her to it. There was nothing left to recover, and Genevieve had barely escaped through the Stargate herself with the aid of Laurent. He was all that remained of her personal guard.

Cam smiled as she touched his face.

"I thought I would never see you again," he said softly.

"Hush, my love, we need to free you from this wreckage, and you must conserve your strength. I do not think your body has finished undergoing the changes. Laurent, help me."

Together the vampires moved enough of the debris to free Cam, but his legs had been crushed by the falling masonry, and he could not stand. Genevieve commanded Laurent to carry her bondmate. She knew it was only a matter of time before the Ori finished the destruction they had begun. Their ships remained in orbit above, and she was not certain why they delayed now. The trio made their way furtively through the ruins of her home. It no longer surprised her that she had been unable to reach the council or her mother, the queen, en route to the planet. If they were still on the planet, they were dead. She sensed no life energy anywhere among the ruins.

Genevieve breathed a silent thanks that somehow Cam had endured. The gate was within sight when the Ori contingency found them. Genevieve dodged the bursts from their weapons easily, and she managed to take out a few of the soldiers before her arm was seized and she was forced to her knees. Only to be released as Laurent sprang forth to tackle the man holding her.

The two fought side by side as a single unit, always conscious of where the other stood as they dodged and struck. Genevieve's mind cleared as battle instinct took over. Yet there seemed no end to the Ori. Then, her attention was captured by an Ori solider holding Cam by his short brown hair while another aimed his weapon at his chest. Genevieve shrieked in desolation and sprang towards them, only to be dragged back by Laurent as the weapon fired a bolt straight into the heart of her bondmate. Genevieve felt her soul splinter as the half that belonged to him fled with the rest of his soul.

The next minutes were nothing but blood and pain. She felt flesh beneath her fangs and claws, heard weapons discharging and men screaming in agony, smelt the acrid burning of flesh. She knew some of it was her own, but she could not feel it. She could feel only the gaping emptiness within, which assured her that Cam was lost to her forever.

It could have been minutes or hours or days as far as Genevieve was concerned, but eventually there were no more soldiers to kill. Laurent screamed at her that they needed to flee through the gate immediately, but Genevieve merely continued to cradle Cam's head in her bloodstained hands. His beloved eyes stared unseeing. They remained his human blue. The cellular change had not completed to make him a vampire. Hot tears mixed with the blood of their enemies dripped onto his face, and she brushed them away angrily. She would die here, she decided. There was nothing left for which to live. When the next wave of Ori came, she would let them destroy her.

Laurent had other ideas.

"My lady, they will launch the air attack soon. We must leave this place or we will be destroyed."

"Then go, Laurent," she said tiredly. "I will stay here and wait for the attack, so that I may join the rest of my soul."

"I cannot allow that, my lady," he said softly. Suddenly, he grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder as he sprinted to the gate. She beat at his head and shoulders, cursing him over and over for a traitor and a cur. He took both the mental and physical beatings without comment and without loosening his hold as he dialed the gate. Within moments they were through the wormhole, and he set her on the ground as gently as she would allow.

She instantly moved towards the dialing device to return, but he blocked her path. No amount of tears or punches could move him. He bore it all with a stoic mask, not even looking at her fully. Eventually, the adrenalin spurred by the loss of her soul faded, and she sank to the ground, allowing unconsciousness to claim her, merely hoping for a moment of peace.


	5. Chapter 5

Somewhere in the telling, Genevieve had ceased trying to stem the tears, and Cam and ceased trying to keep his distance from her. He sat next to her on the bed with her head on his chest and his arm around her while his other hand intertwined with hers. Eventually, Genevieve cried herself to sleep, and he laid her gently on the bed, spreading the thin blanket over her against chills.

As he stepped out of her room, quietly closing the door behind him, Daniel came around the corner.

"Ah, Mitchell, I was just looking for you," he said.

"What's up, Jackson?"

"Well, Sam was just filling me in on some of the things she learned from Genevieve, and I thought you might like to hear it." Daniel looked around, and he realized suddenly where he was. He tilted his head and lifted an eyebrow before saying, "But then, you might already know."

"I have no idea what she told Sam, but I did get to hear a gloriously detailed account of other me's death. So that was nice."

"The you in the other universe is dead?"

"Apparently. Genevieve still seems pretty torn up about it."

"Well she and Laurent did both hint that the two of you were very…close."

"Yeah, I gathered that. So has the general decided if we're going to try to make contact with this other race?"

"Well according to Sam, Genevieve recommends against it, but I think the general is still leaving the option on the table," Daniel said. "However, we have bigger problems at the moment. So the whole vampire issue will have to wait anyway."

"Ori trouble?"

"More like Vala trouble," Daniel said with a sigh. "It's actually the other reason that I was looking for you. That whole business with the other her in Genevieve's universe betraying us to the Ori really messed with her head."

"Shouldn't you be the one to help with that?"

"Why me?"

Cam just raised his eyebrows at him.

"Fine, I get it. Yes, usually it would be me, but I think in this case that talking to Genevieve would actually be more beneficial. Maybe she can convince Vala that just because it happened there doesn't mean it'll happen here. I've tried to explain this to her, but I don't seem to be getting through." Daniel removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. Cam glanced back at the closed door behind him.

"I don't think now is such a good time for that, but when Genevieve wakes up, I'll see if she's up to it."

Genevieve awoke alone in her quarters with a blanket draped over her shoulders. Her dreams had not been pleasant, and a part of her wished that Cameron Mitchell had stayed with her. She shook herself in a vain attempt to rid the last of her memories from her tired mind. Finally, the walls began to press too closely, and she headed for the door with no clear destination.

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Cam was just returning to see her again. He was poised to knock as she opened the door. Genevieve froze.

"Um, hi, I was just coming by to see if you were awake," he said uncertainly.

"Yes, thank you, I slept…not well, but I slept."

"Well that's half good, I guess," he said. They stood awkwardly in the door for a moment before he said, "Can I come in?"

"Sure, why not?" Genevieve stepped back to allow him inside and closed the door behind him. "Shall I reveal any more painful memories for you this afternoon?"

"Look, Genevieve, I'm sorry if you feel I pressured you into reliving that. It wasn't my intention."

"Forget it, Cam. I'm still just a bit distraught."

They sat as they had earlier in the day for a few minutes. Genevieve twisted her hands together idly while Cam tapped on the back of the chair.

"I actually came by to see if you might talk to one of my teammates for me. It's Vala. What you said about her alternate's betrayal in your reality is apparently really getting to her. We were hoping that maybe you could help her work through it."

"We?"

"Well it was really Dr. Jackson's idea."

"If I recall, Daniel is a far better speaker than I am, and he knows Vala quite a bit better. Why does he think I would be of any use?"

"I'm not sure. But I was hoping you would try anyway."

Genevieve sighed. It wasn't like she was doing anything else anyway.

"When shall I speak to her?"

"The sooner the better," Cam said as he stood. Then, he sank back into the chair. "But first, I do have another question."

"What is it?"

"I know that reliving the other me's death was hard for you, but surely you have some good memories with me … I mean, him."

The vampire smiled softly at her hands before directing her gaze to him. The warmth in her eyes made his breath catch. He knew it wasn't really directed at him, but he suddenly wanted it to be. He wanted that tender look to be for him; not some alternate version. Dead alternate version at that.

"Yes, it wasn't all bad. In fact, there were some very good parts."

"Sam told me about the way we, I mean you two, met. But how did we end up… together. And what is this bonding soul exchange thingy anyway?"

"I forgot, you do like to ask the difficult questions. I will try to explain what I can. I suppose I should start with how we ended up… together."


	6. Chapter 6

Genevieve paced around her "quarters" like a caged beast. Perhaps that was how the humans saw her. She had been on the human planet for over a week and had been in this room nearly the entire time, and she was beginning to lose track of the days. She had managed to steal bits of energy through the door from the guards outside, but it was not enough, and she was beginning to feel the pangs and weakness of hunger. She had not told the humans how she fed—mostly from pride but also due to uncertainty over their reactions.

A light knock sounded on her door.

"Enter," she called as she settled herself on the bed. Genevieve pulled at the ugly green fabric of the uniform they had given her to replace the dirty rags from her prison. She expected a guard bringing her the dinner tray that she could not eat. Instead, Cameron Mitchell entered the room, though he did have the unnecessary tray with him.

"I thought you might be hungry," he said. "The general tells me you haven't eaten a thing since you got here."

"Where have you been?" She asked. Genevieve tried to appear bored by the response, but then a sharp pang hit her lungs, and she sucked in air through her teeth with a hiss.

"Are you all right?" Cam set the tray down on the desk and knelt in front of her. He reached a hand towards her face, but she leaned back, and he withdrew.

"I will be fine. I'm just hungry."

"Then why haven't you been eating?"

She ignored the question and said again, "Where have you been?"

"I was off-world on a lengthy recon mission. I didn't want to leave you here, but it was a very time-sensitive mission." He stood and walked over to the tray. "I answered your question, now you answer mine."

Genevieve sighed and debated how to phrase it.

"I cannot eat your human food."

"Oh, right. Vampire. Not human. I forgot. So you need, what, blood?"

The vampire snorted and fought the temptation to roll her eyes. She hadn't been allowed a television with access to any information from outside the base, but she did have one with a VCR. One of the airmen had brought her a selection of films, and over half of them involved "vampires." Apparently, he thought it was funny.

"I eat raw life energy," she said. "Though perhaps 'eat' is not quite the correct term. My body cannot process matter as nourishment."

"And does this raw life energy require the death of the donor?"

"I want to say yes just to see the look on your face, however, that would be inaccurate. In fact, killing the 'donor' is rare and usually reserved for battle or religious sacrifice, though we did away with that centuries ago. Often for a full reserve of energy, we just need a bit from several people. I could walk down a crowded hallway and be content halfway without a single person realizing they had lost anything."

"I suppose you were still full before we got here then. I don't suppose they've given you too many opportunities to walk down the hallway."

"That is an understatement, Cameron Mitchell. But no, I was not full, as you say. I was surrounded by Jaffa on the world you rescued me from, and while I can process their energy it is…difficult. It leaves, well, I suppose you would say it is a bad taste, but for me it is more of a feeling of wrongness. An oily, cloying feel inside my skin."

"So, humans taste better?"

"Much."

Cam sat in the desk chair and started picking at the plate he had brought for Genevieve. She regarded him silently. Her hunger raged within, but she would not take energy, not from him, without permission. Her body begged her to make the request, but her pride quashed the feeling. A vampire warrior did not ask favors of humans.

"I assume you're taking energy from me now?"

"No." He glanced up in surprise.

"Why not?"

"I will not do it without your permission."

He tilted his head to one side. She mimicked him, and he laughed before asking her why that was necessary.

"The guards are…not to be offensive, but they are lesser. You are a warrior. And although a human warrior, or any other human, will never be entirely equal with a vampire, you are closer than they. My pride will not allow me to feed from someone who is not food—unless he permits it."

"Tell you what, you can have my energy today to help you. I'll talk to the general and figure out a more long-term food supply plan before I leave tonight."

"Where are you going now?" Genevieve tried to quell the panic that bubbled beneath the surface at his words. He had just returned; he couldn't just leave again without fulfilling his promise to help her return home. Some note of her distress must have escaped because gave her the tilted look again.

"Home for the night. I don't live on the base, Genevieve. I'll be back tomorrow morning for work."

Genevieve settled back onto the bed. Her eyes roamed over his face and what little of his figure she could make out with his uniforms. His forearms showed beneath his rolled up sleeves, and she watched his pulse hitch slightly through the veins in his wrist. She felt his life energy, the sensation of him, slide under her skin. She felt her own pulse jump in time. The elevation was so slight that she doubted he even noticed. His next words proved her right.

"So are you going to take energy from me or not?"

"I already have. I tried not to take more than I need." She closed her eyes and lay back fully on the twin bed. "I must say, I have not felt an energy such as yours in nearly a century. It was difficult to hold back, but I did not want to exhaust you."

"I didn't feel a thing."

"Perhaps your personal experience will help convinces your people that I really can be harmless."

"Maybe so," he murmured, but his expression showed his doubts.

"And will your people still help me to return me home as you promised?"

"We have to find a way to power the gate enough to reach your galaxy. It's something we've been trying to find for a long time. I was hoping that you could help us."

"How can I do that when I'm locked up in this room all day, every day?"

"I'll talk to the general about that, too." He picked up the dinner tray and headed for the door.

"Cam?" He paused and turned back to her, mildly surprised that she had used his nickname for once. She placed a hand on her chest and held the other with fingers splayed, thumb touching the back of the hand on her chest. She bowed her head slightly.

"Thank you for the use of your energy; may your warrior's strength aid me in my trials."

He desperately wanted to ask about the ritualistic sound of her words and hand placement, but he merely nodded and exited the room. He would try to remember to ask Jackson about it later. Right now, he wanted to get to the general to discuss their guest.


	7. Chapter 7

A knock interrupted Genevieve's story. Cam rose to answer the door where he found Teal'c waiting patiently.

"Col. Mitchell, the general has asked that you come to the briefing room at once, along with Genevieve."

"What's going on?" Cam asked.

"An hour ago we received a message from the Tok'ra. Apparently, Ba'al wishes to meet with us and discuss a potential treaty."

"And which Ba'al would that be? The original or one of the minions that don't seem to quit?" Cam couldn't be certain, but he thought the Jaffa almost—so close—smiled at that.

"I am uncertain, Col. Mitchell."

"Figures. Alright, we'll be there in a minute." Cam closed the door quietly and turned back to Genevieve. She gripped the edge of the bed tightly, and he took a step forward in concern. "What's up, Gen?"

"Nothing," she said with a weak smile. She stood quickly and moved towards him. "We should go. It's not good to keep the general waiting."

"Hang on a sec," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Before we head out, promise me you'll tell me the rest of the story when this nonsense is over?"

"Yes, I will tell you the rest."

The rest of SG-1 and General Landry were already seated in the briefing room when Genevieve and Cam arrived. Laurent was not present. The late-comers took a couple of empty seats next to each other.

"It would appear that Ba'al is having some difficulty with the Ori again," Landry said. "I'm not sure that meeting with him is such a good idea, but the Tok'ra actually like the idea. According to one of their operatives within Ba'al's ranks, he has begun to change somehow. I can hardly believe this, but according to them, he's gotten, and I quote 'more gentle and merciful' in recent months."

"This is Ba'al we're talking about, right?" Cam asked. "Last living system lord, evil son-of-a-bitch, tried to kill everyone on Sg-1 individually at least once, tried to destroy Seattle, not to mention the rest of the planet. That Ba'al?"

"As I said, Colonel, I'm finding it hard to believe myself," Landry said with a half-smile. "Still, if it is true, we could certainly use the help. Unless, Genevieve, you'd like to reconsider your earlier recommendation against contacting your people."

"I'm afraid I must stick by that, General," Genevieve said. "But if the Ba'al in your universe is anything like mine, he does not seem to be a better option."

"Oh he's a pain in the ass, alright," Cam said. "I gotta to say, though, I am curious to see this 'more gentle' version."

"Glad I've managed to pique your curiosity, Mitchell. The Tok'ra have arranged a meeting on an uninhabited planet. SG-1 will leave in twenty-four hours."

"They didn't give us much time to prepare," Daniel interjected.

"No, they did not," Landry said. He sighed and rose to his feet, which prompted Mitchell and Carter to do the same. "Just find out what he wants, but do not promise anything. And I'm sure this goes without saying, but don't accept any gifts, either. Be careful out there, people."

"General, if I may," Genevieve said also rising to her feet. "I would like to accompany them. I could be very useful if things were to go south, and it would be helpful to know how much of this universe is like mine, particularly if the go'auld know of my people. If they have visited the galaxy, it could change my recommendation about the alliance."

"I don't know why I'm agreeing to this, but very well. I suppose it couldn't hurt to have an additional warrior on the team."

"Thank you, General," Genevieve said with a bow of her head. The General had entered his office and closed the door before Cam rounded on her.

"What the hell, Gen?" He glared at her. Teal'c raised an eyebrow, and Sam looked bewildered. Daniel quickly excused himself, but the other two stayed to see how things would play out.

"I can help," Genevieve replied. She tried to keep her voice modulated, but an air of irritation crept into her tone.

"Or you can get hurt. There's no reason for you to come with us, and I'm surprised the general allowed it."

"I know Ba'al very well, Cam." She held up a hand to stop his protest. "He may not be identical to the one in my universe, but considering the other similarities, there's a good chance he is very much the same."

"What's your real motivation in this?"

"Do I really need an ulterior motive?" She asked softly.

He didn't respond. Instead, he glanced up and saw Teal'c and Sam watching them both intently. Seeing that they were noticed, the two teammates quickly made excuses and left. Cam sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"What is this really about?" He asked. The anger in his voice was gone, and the change in tone softened Genevieve's own ire considerably.

"Maybe I'm just tired of watching you go through the gate and expecting you not to return," she whispered. Then, before the sincerity of her statement could fully fall, she added, "And maybe I just want to get off this stupid base and stretch my legs again."

"If you wanted to leave the base, you just had to ask," he said. He grabbed her hand and began leading her from the room. "Come on. We've got twenty-four hours before we get to meet up with the old snake. I'm taking you to dinner."

"I can't eat human food," she reminded him.

"No, but I can, and I am hungry. You can eat me while I eat spaghetti." She laughed at his phrasing, and he hastily added, "I mean my energy, and you know it. Now hurry up, I want to beat the dinner rush."

He took her to an Italian restaurant in Colorado Springs. Every moment, Genevieve expected him to ask her more about her reality, about her relationship with his alternate, but he didn't. He stayed with topics like old films, planets he had visited—though he kept those bits coded as though he were merely speaking of a foreign country—antics as a young man, exploits with the Air Force before joining the SGC, and books he never found the time to read. Genevieve was more than happy to let him do most of the talking, and she realized that she had never really taken moments like this with her Cam. It had always been one catastrophe after another in their world. They had loved one another deeply, and their passion for life and each other had never subsided, but they had not had this—a quiet evening over dinner talking. She realized that she had not really known her Cam very well. She had harbored half of his soul, and thus had known him on a level beyond the ken of most beings, but she had not known him in this sense of facts and the minutiae of life. She had never heard about his father's legs, his high school sweetheart, or the friend who had saved his life and thus lost his own.

"I'm not boring you, am I?" Cam asked suddenly. Genevieve had been staring at him silently for several moments, and it was clear that she was no longer following his words.

"I'm sorry, Cam," she said. "I was just thinking how truly different you are from… well, you, I guess."

"He didn't have the same experiences or he didn't talk as much?"

"I don't know to the first because yes to the second," Genevieve said with a wry smile. "We never had time for things like this. I rarely saw Earth outside of the base, and never to go to a restaurant. I don't think it would have occurred to him."

"I suppose this was a bit selfish of me," Cam said. He did not look the least bit contrite about that as he mopped up some marinara sauce with a piece of bread.

"Perhaps, but I'm glad you did," she said. "It helps to be reminded that you are not the same person. My bond with your alternate reads your DNA as the same, and your energy feels the same under my skin, yet I know that you are not the same Cameron Mitchell. It's all a little bewildering sometimes."

"I'm sorry if I'm making things more difficult for you," he said. He wiped his mouth on the cloth napkin before laying it beside his plate as he signaled the waiter to bring the check. "You know, you just have to tell me to leave you alone and I'll fade into the background as much as possible if that will make it easier for you."

"But I've already promised to tell you the rest of the story," she said.

"I will release you from that promise," he said.

Genevieve smiled at him fondly. So different and yet so alike, she thought. One moment, he did not resemble her bondmate in the least, and the next, it was as though she had never lost him.

"I don't mind telling you," she finally said. "I like to remember it. It becomes harder to remember as the days pass. With only half of my soul, I feel as though I am slipping into darkness day by day, but if I can just remember him, and what it felt like to hold his soul with my own, maybe I can stay in the light a bit longer."

"Well then, I suggest we continue this back at my place over drinks." Cam left some cash on the table and rose, extending his hand to help her up. "By the way, I know you can't eat, but can you drink?"

"Yes, it seems to be a leftover from early evolutions, like the fangs," she said. "I don't suppose you have any Shiraz lying around at home?"

"No, but I know a great place to get some nearby. We'll stop on the way."

Genevieve wasn't sure what to expect when she walked into his house. In her universe, she had never seen Cam's home on Earth. She took a seat on the couch while he grabbed a couple of glasses and poured the wine. When he had settled beside her, she set the proffered glass on the coffee table and took his hands between her own. She closed her eyes and rubbed her thumbs in small circles over the pads of his fingers and the worn knuckles. His life energy swirled under his skin and reached up to tickle her fingers. She ached to draw more of it inside her. She had sipped at his energy across the table, but she had taken more from the other patrons and the waiter at the restaurant.

"Had I known I would be getting a massage, I might have skipped the restaurant," Cam said. She opened her eyes to find him smiling at her. She grinned back and released his hands reluctantly. The wisps of energy from his hands travelled languidly up her fingers and along her veins, slowly sinking into her cells. She shivered, though she tried to cover up the involuntary reaction by reaching for the wine.

"Where did I leave off the story?" She asked.

"He offered his energy to you, but you didn't really take much," he replied. Genevieve smiled and settled back on the couch.

"Oh, but I did take quite a lot actually."


	8. Chapter 8

"So she fed off of you?" General Landry asked. "How do you feel?"

"Honestly, sir, I feel great," Cam said. He was actually finding it difficult to stand still for more than a few moments at a time. "I thought I might be tired, but I feel like I got an adrenalin spike instead. Or at least some really good coffee. If this is what having a vampire feed on you feels like then, hey, sign me up."

"Be that as it may, I'd like you to get checked out in the infirmary just to be sure. If Dr. Lam says there's no harm done, then I'll assume that our guest's feeding habits aren't a threat."

"Thank you, General," Cam said. "And sir, I told Genevieve that I would speak to you about allowing her to help us search for a power source to gate to her galaxy."

"I'll take it under consideration. So far, she doesn't seem to be intent on hurting anyone, and I like the idea of potentially more advanced allies. Unfortunately, we don't have any leads on that, yet. But as a show of good faith, let's stop keeping her cooped up in those quarters," Landry said. "Dismissed."

"Sir," Cam dipped his head in acknowledgement and headed for the infirmary. He didn't think it was at all necessary; he felt better than he had in ages. It was as though he'd just slept through an entire night and then poured a few energy drinks down his throat. He was practically buzzing with energy.

On the way to his check up, Cam ran into Daniel.

"Oh, hey Mitchell, you seem cheery," Daniel said. He fell into step with Cam.

"I feel fabulous, Jackson," Cam replied. "How's it going?"

"Well, I've been reading up on everything I can about Earth's vampire myths, which frankly isn't much up until the last century when people started going crazy with the idea. But I did find something interesting involving the demon Lillith. She's said to be the mother of vampires, though of course, there are a lot of other things attributed to her. Anyway, I think Lillith was a Goa'uld."

"Really? So maybe a snake kidnapped a vampire back before they evolved to take direct energy instead of blood, and brought it back to our galaxy as a host?"

"Could be. Doesn't sound too different from our lost princess, does it?"

"Well, whichever goa'uld nabbed Genevieve, they didn't seem interested in her as a host."

"Or they couldn't use her as one," Daniel said. He pushed his glasses up on his nose and stopped as he realized where they were. "Sure you're feeling okay?"

"Oh yeah, never better. Landry just wanted me to get checked out since Genevieve fed off of me earlier."

"She took your energy, and you aren't tired?"

"Quite the opposite, my friend. Anyway, I want to get this over with. Catch you in the commissary later?" Daniel nodded, and Cam proceeded into the infirmary to be poked and prodded.

A short time later, he found himself back outside Genevieve's room. There was no longer a guard stationed outside her room, though airmen still ranged throughout the corridor. Cam knocked softly and barely waited for the muffled command to enter before he barreled into the room. Genevieve offered a languid smile from her position on the bed. She stretched full length with her arms over her head pushing against the wall for leverage. Even in the awful BDUs her figure was amazing, and for a moment, Cam forgot why he had stopped by to see her.

"Did you need something, Cameron Mitchell?" She asked as she settled back from her stretch. Cam realized his mouth was open slightly and he quickly snapped his teeth together and closed the door.

"Well the General is convinced that you can feed without hurting anyone, and he's promised to consider your request to help with the search for a power source."

"That's wonderful news," Genevieve said as she rose to a seated position on the bed. She patted the comforter beside her, and Cam flopped down to rest on an elbow. "How are you feeling, by the way? The amount of energy I took from you could leave someone feeling rather tired, though I did try to hold back a bit."

"Are you kidding? I feel great. Better than before actually."

Genevieve studied him closely. She took his chin in her hand and tilted his head slowly to inspect his eyes and feel his pulse. His energy was still singing through her cells, so it wasn't difficult to pick up the pattern of his heartbeat even through the slight contact. The pulse was slightly elevated from earlier, and he was slightly warm to the touch. Of course, it had been so long since she touched a human like this that she could not be sure the temperature wasn't normal for him. But the eyes told her what she really needed to know. She smiled broadly without regard to her fangs. Cam decided he rather liked that look.

"My dear Cam, I believe you are a Mentiale."

"A what?"

"Mentiales are humans who are, well, essentially they are the perfect food. Their physiology seems designed for us. No matter how much energy a vampire draws, they will continue to feel perfectly normal. For many, they experience a euphoric feeling after a light feeding. Rarer though is a Mentiale who creates more life energy in proportion or even excess of what is withdrawn by the vampire. You seem to fall into this last category judging from how much I took, but I can't be completely sure after just one feeding."

"Wait, wait, wait," Cam interrupted. "Is that why I feel so pepped up since dinner?"

"Probably. I thought it likely that with as many similarities as there are between our universes, you would probably be a Mentiale in this one. It seems determined by something genetically, and as far as I can tell through the bond, you are genetically identical."

"Cool. So feeding from me would be enough for you at any time, and I get an energy boost? Sound like a win-win situation to me."

"We believe that is why the Mentiale emerged. It offers protection for both species. The bond is another such mechanism. It has kept our two species intertwined since the days when we stopped drinking blood and began consuming pure energy."

"Okay, I want to hear the rest of the story, but I have to ask one more thing," Cam said. He turned to her more fully so that his arm rested on the back of the couch with his fingertips lightly brushing her shoulder. "The ascended beings like the Ori are pure energy, can you consume them?"

Genevieve's featured darkened as she lowered her eyes to stare at the half-empty glass in her hand. She tapped the glass with her fingernail as she debated how much to tell him. In the end, with Cam, she could only ever offer full disclosure.

"It can be done… theoretically. However, it has only been attempted once, and the results were… mixed. It is rather a long story, and since you have mentioned it, I feel it would be better explained to General Landry and your team all at once. It was rather an important incident in my universe."

"Fair enough. So, you found out I was a Mentiale, and then what?"

Genevieve smiled. First it was a fond curve of lips at the memory, and then there was a soft mischievous light. Her voice dripped with amusement as she began speaking again.


	9. Chapter 9

Genevieve scowled at the broken punching bag. This was the second one she had decimated without even using her claws. Her fists connecting with the bag relieved some of her pent up frustration, but even when fully immersed in the battle lust, she could not get the feel of him out from under her skin. Initially after establishing that Cam was indeed a Mentiale, she had fed almost exclusively from him. It made the other humans on the base more comfortable, and it left him feeling amazing. At first, the human doctor had been uncertain about long-term effects, but Genevieve's assurance that no ill befell the Mentiale on her homeworld made Cam perfectly at ease, even if the doctor insisted on issuing further tests as the feedings continued. The doctor seemed to be concerned that the feeding acted as a sort of drug, and there was always the possibility of withdrawals.

Genevieve found that unlikely, but she respected the concern. So for a week now, she had fed on random people while wandering the halls or sitting in the commissary with SG-1. She wasn't exactly accepted among them, but she was tolerated for Cam's sake, and both Daniel and Sam had begun to find her interesting for her own sake. It had been a long week. She found herself growing more and more restless even with her new freedom of movement. She spent hours in the gym each night. She had begun by running the track and lifting weights, but she soon found this did not satisfy, and she began to abuse the punching bags. She had broken five chains now, but the bags themselves had largely held up. But now, this one hung open from the middle, spilling its contents to the floor.

She sighed and leapt up lightly to unhook the bag. It fell with a thud, and she dragged it to the corner. The first time, she had asked a passing airman where she should take it, and he had instructed her to leave it for someone to repair. She did the same with this one. She gave it a good kick, but then she froze as she felt eyes on her. Someone with excellent training had entered the room, and she couldn't be sure how long they had been there before she noticed. She had been so immersed in her thoughts that her senses had dulled. Of course, that had been the goal to stop the memory of the buzz of Cam's life force under her skin, but now it made her nervous.

"Are you well, Genevieve?" A seldom heard voice inquired. She turned to find Teal'c standing by the door with his hands behind his back.

"I'll be fine. These human contraptions just can't stand up to me," she said. She cast a vicious glare at the unperturbed bag in the corner.

"Then perhaps what you need is a living opponent. Would you care to spar with me?"

Genevieve sized up the Jaffa warrior. He was nearly twice her size, and she knew the Jaffa were stronger than humans. But then, so was she. She nodded once and moved to meet him on a nearby mat. She made the same ritualistic hand gesture that she had offered to Cam: the sign of respect from one warrior to another. Teal'c bowed his head in acknowledgement and then they began.

She felt an open hand fly towards her, but she spun gracefully to the side. It was a feint, but the real strike from the other hand served as a vaulting point for the lithe vampire. She used his outstretched arm to spin over him, gripping his arm to pull him over her head as her feet touched back to the ground, but he had a better stance than she expected, and he launched a kick which very nearly connected with her ribs. She leapt out of range, and the two eyed one another appreciatively.

After a few more rounds with no clear victor they were both finally breathing a bit heavier. Genevieve was preparing to launch another attack when Cam entered the room. She froze as his scent hit her. She had briefly forgotten about him while sparring with Teal'c. The buzzing memory of his energy had faded, but now it emerged again. She fought the urge to feed. She tried closing her eyes to gain focus, but removing visual stimulus made the other senses more acute and actually made it more difficult to focus. Then, she sensed him directly in front of her, and his hand rested gently on her cheek. Her eyes flew open, and as they met his, she leapt into his arms and kissed him. The move caught him off-guard, and they ended up in a heap on the sparring mat.

There was no hesitation on his part. He kissed her back forcefully, and she drank his life energy through his mouth. She felt that she could stay like this forever, but it wasn't to be.

Arms grabbed her from behind and wrapped around her torso. She bucked against the broad Jaffa chest and tried to wriggle away. She tried to drain his energy to weaken him, but the slick taste of the goa'uld life force mingled with his made her gag. She knew that he no longer carried a symbiote, but the taint remained.

"Genevieve," Cam said. She stopped struggling instantly. He slowly rose from the floor and started to approach, but Teal'c backed away, taking her with him.

"I do not believe that it is a good idea for the two of you to be in close proximity, Col. Mitchell," Teal'c said. For a moment, Cam bristled, and he seemed to be contemplating attacking. Then, he closed his eyes while clenching his fists at his sides. He expelled a long breath before reopening his eyes. He looked at Genevieve, but he spoke to Teal'c.

"I think you're right, big guy," he said. "I guess you'll have to report this to the general?"

"That would be wise. It is clear that the energy transference has affected you both."

"You can release me, Teal'c," Genevieve said. "I have regained myself."

Teal'c released his grip, and she stepped away a bit before turning to face him. She gave the sign of respect with a deep bow, and the Jaffa inclined his head in acceptance. She then turned back to Cam.

"My apologies, Cameron Mitchell. I had thought I had control over the hunger, but you are like no Mentiale I have ever encountered. Teal'c is correct that we must inform the general. I don't know what is happening. You put me completely out of my element. But I promise, it will not happen again."

She bowed her head slightly before exiting the room. She had not looked at him while speaking, and she continued avoiding his gaze while practically running from the sparring room. Cam moved to follow, but Teal'c laid a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Still, the human's eyes remained on the door for several moments before he shook off his teammate's hand and headed in the opposite direction.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: This is continuing with the story rather than jumping to the "present" time. It's a bit exposition heavy, but it's getting close to the end of the background-y stuff.**

General Landry was perturbed by the events in the gym, and he ordered more tests run on both Genevieve and Cam. Meanwhile, Daniel had been doing more research on Lilith. He gathered the team to talk about his findings over lunch in the commissary.

"She shows up in Assyrian and Babylonian texts, but her legend didn't really take off until it was picked up by the Hebrews. I think the older texts are more reliable, though. She's equated with the demon Lamastu, and both are known for stealing children as well as sucking the blood of men in particular and stealing their semen to create more of her own demon children."

"That makes sense," Genevieve said. All four members of SG-1 turned to stare at her, and she shifted uncomfortably. "It is essentially how we procreate. Male vampires are sterile. We take humans as temporary mates. Once the process is begun, the vampire DNA takes over. It's another way that we have become bound to your species over the centuries."

Everyone fell silent until Cam broke the awkwardness with another dose of awkward.

"Temporary mates?" He asked. Genevieve had been studiously avoiding his gaze throughout the meeting, but now her eyes met his. She swallowed unconsciously before replying.

"Occasionally, a vampire and a human will mate for life. But as the humans live for so much shorter time… It is rare. It really only occurs with a true bonding because those cannot be denied."

Everyone else began to feel uncomfortably like they shouldn't be present for this conversation. Sam decided the best course of action was to let Daniel continue.

"So do you think Lilith was taken by a Goa'uld that we've heard of?"

"No, I actually think that Lamastu may have been the Goa'uld. I'd have to check with the Tok'ra to confirm that, though. Genevieve have you ever heard of a vampire named Lilith?"

"Yes, millennia ago she was third in line to the throne. According to the legends, she disappeared suddenly and never returned. Some say she went on a quest to find her own lands. Others say that she was taken. No one knows, and frankly, no one has ever cared. She was not well-liked in her own time. The legends are more concerned with the fact that she plotted against her mother and sisters to take over the throne. It was an unheard of concept, and has never been tried before or since. Even with the help of humans, our numbers have never been great and to turn on a fellow vampire is the most heinous of crimes."

"Yet, you are a warrior people," Teal'c said. "Who do you face in battle in your galaxy?"

"We are currently the dominant race," Genevieve said. "Many species inhabit our galaxy. Not all are humanoid, and few are peaceful by nature. But we primarily developed our warrior skills in the dark times before the close ties with humans were established. It was actually during Lilith's time that the ties began."

"Your people's history sounds fascinating," Daniel said. He had the look in his eyes that his team recognized instantly as the need to know everything about this splendid new culture whether it would be useful to him or not.

"I would be happy to tell you more of it, Dr. Jackson," she said. "But right now, I am very tired."

"Have you been eating?" Cam asked worriedly. He had noticed that Genevieve seemed listless and tired more easily since the gym incident.

"I have, but it does not seem to fill me as it once did. I don't wish to take more than necessary from anyone."

"This is ridiculous. You have all the energy you need right here, and it won't hurt me a damn bit. I need to talk to the general." He stood to head straight to do that, but Sam stopped him by softly saying his name. He looked ready for an argument as he stared down at the scientist.

"Cam, you know the general is just worried. And this makes him more correct to be worried. If feeding from you made Genevieve unable to properly feed from anyone else, what would continued feeding do to both of you? What if you became separated? She would die without you as her food source, and you would probably go crazy judging from your behavior lately."

Cam glared at her, but he couldn't fault the logic. He glanced at Genevieve, and he froze at her bewildered expression.

"I must go," she said suddenly. She accidentally moved the table several inches in her hurry to leave. She was out the door before any of the team could blink. Cam followed close behind her. Sam and Daniel looked prepared to follow as well, but Teal'c stopped them.

"She is a warrior of honor. She has given her word to the general that she will abide by his request. And it seems that they have much to discuss. Alone."

Genevieve's door was locked when Cam reached it. He knew she was fast, but he began to wonder if she could actually fly. He had ignored the numerous stares around him as he ran through the halls after her. He tapped lightly on the door. No response.

"Gen, I know you're in there. The door doesn't lock by itself."

"Go away!" The muffled reply sounded so much like a petulant teenager that he almost started laughing. But something serious was happening, so he tried to maintain his composure.

"Look, Genevieve, please open the door. We need to talk, and people are beginning to stare, so if you don't let me in soon, someone is going to tell the general that something weird is going on. Personally, I'd rather not deal with that right now."

He waited with his palms flat against the door until he heard the lock click and the door slid open an inch. He shoved it aside just enough to edge through and then closed the door behind him. She had already moved back to the bed where she lay on her stomach with her arms buried in her pillow. He wanted to sit beside her and comfort her, but he knew that they were probably already too close to one another. He pulled out the chair from her desk and straddled it.

"So what was that about?" She remained silent, so he added, "You know, I was serious about the people in the hallway. It probably won't be long before the general knows I'm here, and he's not going to like it. So, please, tell me what's going on before I get dragged out of here."

"I don't know what's going on," the vampire said without moving.

"Well something's bothering you."

Genevieve groaned dramatically and sat up. She sat on the edge of the bed with her palms planted firmly on either side of her. She nibbled at her lip as he waited for her to speak.

"Let me tell you a story that my mother told me when I reached adulthood," she finally said. "In the dark times, the vampires fed on the blood of humans. They stole their bodies to propagate the species. They stole their blood for food. They stole their children for obedience. It was constant war, though the vampires always won. But there was a warrior, an heiress to the throne, who did not see the humans as livestock. When she looked at them, she could see how much alike we were. She took a human to her bed, and not just for a night, but for a lifetime. He died of old age before she had even reached the middle of her life. So she took another. For five centuries she did this. She had many children in this time. And all of her children carried on her feelings for the humans. Not all took lifemates, but some of them did. And some of them went further. They bonded with the humans. Bonded to them so strongly that the death of one could kill the other. They traded their souls, according to the story.

"I don't know if that part is true, but I do know that this is when we began to evolve away from the consumption of blood. This is when we stopped preying on the humans and started living alongside them. Never quite equal, but each in need of the other."

"That's a great story, but what does it have to do with anything?"

"According to the legends, a truly bonded pair were destined. Neither time nor space could separate them. They would find each other, and they would know in their souls when they did."

"You think we're meant to be? Like soul mates?"

"I do," she said. "Can't you feel it?" She slowly rose and walked the few steps to stand in front of him where his arms rested on the chair back. She leaned down so that her face was only a few centimeters away from his. She felt as much as heard his breath catch. She could feel his energy swirling up and around her; it was begging to be taken, but she had promised the general.

"So what does that mean for us exactly?"

"I wish I knew," she said. She leaned down further so that her head lay against his shoulder with her nose and lips nearly touching his neck. She breathed in the scent of him as he sternly told himself to keep his hands exactly where they were.

"There has not been a truly bonded pair in my lifetime," she whispered. Her breath tickled his throat and he felt that he was choking. She noticed the change and backed off. His energy was spinning off wildly throughout the room. It built up and up within him, and she knew that there could be too much of a good thing. She made a decision.

Genevieve pulled Cam to his feet and pressed as much of her body against his as she could while her lips found his. She twisted her hands into his short brown hair and pulled in his energy from every small place where they touched. Skin to skin was better, but she could work around the clothes. She had to drain the excess. She needed to bring down his energy levels. Her cells felt like they would burst within her, yet still she pulled more. The energy she had been missing so desperately raced through her veins, twined with her cells, and left her feeling giddy. She could sense every part of him: his heartbeat, the snap of his synapses, and the press of his lips on hers. And she felt his mind, or more accurately his soul, and it looked like hers.

Finally, she knew that she had taken enough to save him. She wasn't entirely sure what would have happened, but her instincts told her that letting him continue like that would have been a very bad idea indeed. Her lips reluctantly parted from his, and she opened her eyes to meet his. Somewhere in the struggle to feed, he had returned her embrace. She began to extricate herself, but he held her fast. She could feel her heart beating in perfect time with his. His hands were warm on her back, and she suddenly had the desire to never move. Cam lowered his face to hers again. There was less urgency, but a hint of need remained in the gesture. She let her lips meet his again.

And that is when General Landry and two airmen walked into the room looking for them.


	11. Chapter 11

**Present**

"What time is it?" Genevieve asked. Cam blinked at her for a moment. He had gotten lost in the sound of her voice and the movement of her lips. His empty wine glass dangled loosely from his fingers, and he was surprised that he hadn't dropped it.

"Um, I think it's like 0100," he said after a glance at the clock on the mantle. The number came out as a yawn so he ended up having to repeat it.

"We should sleep. We must be at our best when we face Ba'al. I assume that you don't wish to return me to the base at this hour, so I will take the couch."

"Never let it be said that chivalry is dead," Cam said. He stood and gestured down the hall. "You take the bed. The sheets are clean. I'll just grab a blanket and pillow, and I'll camp out here."

Genevieve looked prepared to argue, but in the end, she simply bowed her head and headed for his room. Cam followed her to grab the aforementioned bedding. He paused at the doorway as the temptation to find out if she would let him join her fought to the surface, but he squashed the feeling and closed the door behind him. He lay on the couch staring at the ceiling for a while mulling over what she had told him, but he wasn't one to brood and before long sleep won.

The next morning, they drove back to the base and if anyone wondered where the vampire had been, they were kind enough not to question it. Vala met them in the hallway on the way to gear up. Cam was walking a bit closer to Genevieve than was strictly necessary, so he noticed her tense at the sight of the former thief, but he was sure the movement was invisible to anyone else.

"Good morning, Mitchell. Sleep well?" Vala grinned at him, and her pigtails bobbed at the tilt of her head.

"Aren't you supposed to be sulking somewhere?" He asked. The three continued down the corridor.

"Well, I was for a bit, but you know, Daniel can be a miracle sometimes. And Laurent was actually a big help, too."

"Laurent spoke to you?" Genevieve asked. She couldn't hide her surprise. Her bodyguard hated Vala even more than she did in their own universe.

"Yes, he only threatened to kill me once, and then he sat down and talked to me like I was actually a human being. I think it did him some good to talk it out. I feel we both made a real breakthrough. He's got all sorts of issues revolving around you, princess."

"Please don't call me that," Genevieve said with a sigh. Luckily, they reached the locker rooms before Vala could further work on her nerves. She managed to escape any more conversations with Vala before joining SG-1 in the gateroom. The vampire had hoped to wear her own armor, but Cam had convinced her to don the same gear as the rest of the team. She settled her hat lower on her forehead and checked the strap of her hand weapon again. She had managed to argue for carrying her own weapon. She was trained in the use of the P-90s that the team preferred, but she would rather have her sphere, which fit in the palm of her hand and could incapacitate an enemy with greater precision than even the human projectiles.

They stepped through the gate and found themselves on a forest planet. The daylight was fading for which Genevieve was extremely grateful. Her people had synthesized a drug to combat the effects of the UV allergy, but full daylight still made her uncomfortable. Two years could not undo two centuries of avoidance.

The team fanned out to scope the area. They had a bit of a hike to the arranged meeting area in the remnants of an unused Tok'ra base. As they walked, Genevieve had the strangest feeling that she had been there before.

"So how do you know Ba'al?" Vala asked.

"What do you mean?" Genevieve asked.

"You told the general that you knew Ba'al very well and that the knowledge could prove useful. It's the reason you're even with us right now. So how do you know him?"

"Ba'al is the one that took me from my home galaxy," she said.

"And who's to say that he didn't do the same in our universe?" Vala asked. The vampire frowned at her. She did not like that the traitor was questioning her.

"I find that unlikely. If he had, I'm sure you would know of it by now even without the escape of my double. Far more likely is that while I have extensive knowledge of him, he will know nothing of me."

Vala remained mercifully silent for the remainder of the trip, and they soon reached the agreed upon location. A tok'ra representative met them in a clearing, and rings appeared to take them below.

"We are still awaiting the arrival of Ba'al. Please remain here until I return," the tok'ra said. He left them in a large room with a long table just like every other conference table they had discussed treaties over on various planets.

"I can't say that I'm really pleased with the set up here," Cam said. "I mean, I'm glad we're keeping our weapons and all, but doesn't security seem a bit lax?"

"The whole thing does seem a bit out of character both for Ba'al and the tok'ra," Sam agreed. "Surely this isn't a set up?"

"Because this would be the first time we walked into one of those," Daniel said.

They didn't have long to wait. After only a few minutes they heard footsteps in the corridor. Ba'al entered the room with his usual strut and garish clothing. His eyes swept over them with little interest, and everyone took seats at the table.

"So what's this about?" Cam said without preamble. He didn't think that even Daniel could complain about a lack of tact given the person they were dealing with.

"I approached your people once before in the hopes of an alliance against the Ori," Ba'al said. "Your O'Neill was most insistent and most insolent in his denial. I hope that wiser heads will prevail as this threat remains to us all. And they grow more deadly each day as more worlds fall to their propaganda."

"I hear you're still spreading your own propaganda," Cam said.

"My loyal servants still worship me, yes. As they should." His eyes roamed across the six people opposite him with apparent disdain as he spoke. He briefly narrowed his eyes at Genevieve before returning his attention to Cam. "But that is of no consequence to you. What matters is that we can help one another to defeat these fanatics. After that, we can resume trying to kill each other if you wish. Personally, I grow tired of that game. Even without the use of a sarcophagus, you Taur'i refuse to die. Particularly your little band. And I am tired of hunting you."

"That's magnanimous of you," Genevieve said with a smirk. The look quickly turned to consternation at Ba'al's reaction. He practically jumped from his seat and his voice switched from the human tones he had been using to the deeper goa'uld voice.

"What is the meaning of this?" He demanded. "Genevieve, my queen, why are you with the Tau'ri? We agreed that I would do this, and that you would remain far from them." He then rounded on the members of SG-1 with eyes flashing. "What have you done to her that she does not know me? You will return her to me immediately or you will all suffer greatly."

Everyone sat stunned at the sudden change, except Teal'c who surreptiously raised his gun in case the goa'uld actually tried to harm them. Genevieve was the first to find a way to calm the situation. She stood slowly and walked around the table. At her movement, Ba'al ceased his rambling threats and questions and watched her as if she were the only person in the room. She reached his side and placed her hands on either side of his face. He melted into her touch with eyes half closed.

"We may have agreed, my love, but clearly I found a better way," she said soothingly. "Return to your ship. I will contact you in a few days with the Tau'ri answer. And it will be in our favor. Go now, keeper of my soul."

Ba'al nodded before placing his lips on her forehead and swiftly exiting the room.

The earth team stared at Genevieve who watched the retreating goa'uld with consternation.

"What the hell was that?" Cam said as he rose to his feet. Genevieve snapped from her thoughts as she recognized the carefully concealed danger in his voice.

"I don't know," she said. She fought the urge to shrug as the movement might anger him.

"You two seemed pretty damned comfy to me!" He practically shouted.

"I was trying to diffuse the situation. Obviously I was wrong that Ba'al in this universe would not capture my double. But as long as he believed that I am the one from this reality, he would go quietly today. But he will learn soon enough after leaving here that I am not his queen."

"Screw this," Cam said. "We'll discuss it back at base with the general." He marched from the room without bothering to see if anyone else would follow. Genevieve watched the others file out of the room without looking at her until she was alone with Vala. The vampire moved towards the door, preferring not to be left alone with Vala's quips. She was surprised when none were forthcoming.

"I'm sorry this happened," Vala said softly as she followed Genevieve. "I know I have been difficult today, and I know you don't really understand why. But I'm sorry because this will not be easy when we get back to Earth."

Genevieve paused in the hallway to look at the other woman. She seemed sincere enough. Vala offered her a rare smile without mischief or malice and followed the others. Genevieve sighed and joined them all at the rings. There was still an uncomfortable walk back to the gate, and then the real awkwardness would begin. The hole where her soul used to reside seemed larger.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: So it's been a minute since I've worked on this at all. For a brief reminder: Genevieve and Laurent are (essentially) vampires from an alternate reality. Genevieve was bonded to Cam Mitchell in her reality. He's dead now. But she has been telling the story of her world to the Mitchell in this reality. This is (obvs) AU so there are some discrepancies in timeline. The team just met up with Ba'al to discuss a potential alliance against the Ori, and he went a little nuts that Genevieve was with them. Carrying on:**

To say the general was unhappy would be an understatement. Despite Genevieve's explanation, her identity and loyalty were obviously being questioned. Cam seemed to take the incident particularly personally. Over the next few days, he wouldn't speak to the vampire at all. She stopped trying to reach out to him when she stopped being able to find him. Actually all of SG-1 seemed to prefer pretending that Genevieve didn't exist anymore. The only exception was Vala. She and Laurent had become bosom buddies seemingly overnight, and they made it their mission to keep Genevieve company.

On the third day, the three sat together in Vala's quarters once again rehashing the events in the old Tok'ra tunnels.

"But he couldn't possibly believe that I actually know this universe's Ba'al," Genevieve said for what she felt was the hundredth time. "I haven't left the base since Laurent and I arrived other than the night I went with him to dinner."

"Yes, but that isn't what's being questioned right now," Vala reiterated. "In their thinking, what if you lied when you first came through the gate?"

"If they distrust us so much, let them send us back through the gate, and we will make our own way in the universe," Laurent said disdainfully. Genevieve smiled sadly at her bodyguard. He had been against coming to Earth from the beginning, and she was beginning to think he had been right.

"They can't do that now," Vala explained. She showed an impressive amount of patience with Laurent. "You know too much about the base. Besides, once Ba'al has discovered the truth, he'll make contact trying to figure out who this Genevieve is with us, and the air will be transparent."

"I'm not entirely cognizant of Earth mannerisms, but I think that one was a bit off," Laurent said after a moment.

"In any case," Vala stopped as an alarm sounded in the corridor and Sgt. Harriman's voice drifted over the PA system to warn of an unscheduled off-world activation.

"Show time?" Vala asked. The three moved together to the control room where General Landry and Col. Mitchell were already waiting.

"What've we got, Walter?" Landry asked.

Before he could respond, an image of Ba'al appeared in front of the iris. Mitchell and Landry exchanged a glance before moving to the gateroom below. Vala trailed behind them while the vampires waited with Harriman.

"To what do we owe this displeasure?" The general asked. Ba'al smirked.

"Where is the impostor who appeared as my queen at our meeting?"

"Oh, she's around here somewhere," Mitchell said. "What do you want?"

"My desire for a temporary alliance still stands."

"I sense a 'but' coming," Mitchell muttered. Landry raised an eyebrow at him, but it wasn't really a reprimand. The ex-system lord had a way of rankling everyone.

"How perceptive. I must know how you obtained such a convincing version of my queen. And why. I also demand that she be handed over to me."

Landry sensed Mitchell stiffen beside him, and he hurried to speak before his subordinate could say anything too revealing.

"Well, after your little fit at the first meeting, I'm not sure that we're ready for a second," Landry said. He held up a hand to forestall Ba'al's imminent complaints. "But, I will consider it, and we will use the tok'ra to contact you when a decision has been reached."

"Very well," Ba'al said before the image vanished and the light behind the iris winked out.

The two men and Vala returned to the control room where the vampires had been joined by the rest of SG-1. The general motioned for them to proceed up the spiral staircase to the briefing room.

"So how do we want to play this, sir?" Mitchell asked as they all settled around the table.

"Despite my reluctance to work with Ba'al in any capacity, we are getting our asses kicked out there. The Lucian Alliance is still an enemy, and we are running out of options."

"And what about his demand for Genevieve?" Mitchell asked.

"Well, he thinks she's a copy. Most likely he believes that we've developed our own cloning technology. While I wouldn't mind keeping it that way, it's going to be difficult."

"It won't matter in the end," Genevieve said quietly. All eyes turned to her, but she looked at Sam when she continued. "If the other Genevieve were in another galaxy, I would likely have more time, but if we are brought in close proximity to one another…"

"Entropic cascade failure," Sam finished for her. "But if our realities are similar enough, that may not be a problem anyway. Despite our contact with alternate realities over the years, we really still don't know much about the phenomenon. I've only seen it in action once, but that started within a couple of days. You've already been here for weeks. And we've never seen any evidence that it's affected by spatial distance within the universe."

"So that could be an issue, maybe, but we don't know, so let's shelve that for now, huh?" Mitchell said.

"Agreed," Landry said. "Send a message to the tok'ra that we will meet with Ba'al. I'm still not making any promises, but we have to pursue every avenue available to us."

"And if he demands that I be handed over?"

"Not going to happen," Mitchell said. He glanced at the general and received another resigned eyebrow raise.

"Mitchell is right. Whether or not we form an alliance with Ba'al against the Ori, we aren't turning anyone over to him. Dismissed."

Sam went to relay the message to the tok'ra while the others drifted away, leaving Mitchell and Genevieve alone for the first time in three days.

"Are you still going to give me the silent treatment?" Genevieve asked.

"I'm sorry, Gen," he said. He stared resolutely at a spot on the table. "I should have trusted you. But to be honest, you know me a hell of a lot better than I know you. Even with everything you've told me so far about your reality."

"We can rectify that," she said, taking a small step closer to him so that he would look at her. "Let's get you something to eat, and we will begin to balance out our knowledge."

"Sounds fair." Cam offered her his arm, and they headed for the commissary.


End file.
